Host header site collection VS Path based Site Collections in SharePoint 2010

SharePoint gives the ability to create site collections with it's own domain name while the web application has a different domain name, these site collections are called host name site collections and their creation and behaviour is different from regular path based site collections which by default are created under http://sp2010/SITES/XYZ/. Below are 10 differences that i could gather which lays out the difference between hostname site collections and path based site collections.

1. SharePoint 2010 Support
Host-Header Site Collection : Yes
Path Based Site Collection : Yes

2. DNS Support
Host-Header Site Collection : Unique DNS name for each site collection i.e. www.customer1.com, www.customer2.com or *.customer1.com

Path Based Site Collection : Will to be the same as the webapplication

3. Use of Managed Path
Host-Header Site Collection : Yes
• Host-Header Managed paths are different from Path based managed paths and cannot be used for each other.
• Managed paths created for host-named site collections are available to all host-named site collections within the farm regardless of which Web application the host-named site collection is in.

Path Based Site Collection : Yes
• Host-Header Managed paths cannot be used for Path based site collections and Vice versa

4. Creating Managed Path
Host-Header Site Collection : Powershell
New-SPManagedPath pathname –HostHeader

Path Based Site Collection : Powershell, CA
New-SPManagedPath “Teams” -WebApplication “http://somestuff”

5. Alternate Access mapping Support
Host-Header Site Collection : No, since they are always in the same Default zone.
Path Based Site Collection : Yes. And so supports multiple host header URL of its Web application using AAM

6. Co-Exist in the same Web application
Host-Header Site Collection : Yes
• As long as the host header bindings on the IIS Web site is not assigned to the Default zone of the Web application.
• Host header bindings in the IIS Web site can be applied to other zones of the Web application, this way Default zone will be used for host-named site collections allowing path-based site collections in other zones making use of alternate access mapping functionality.

Path Based Site Collection : Yes

7. Multiple in Single Web application
Host-Header Site Collection :Yes
Path Based Site Collection : Yes

8. Creating site collection
Host-Header Site Collection : PowerShell
New-SPSite http://www.contoso.com -OwnerAlias DOMAIN\username - HostHeaderWebApplication http://servername/
Above command creates site collection with the url www.contoso.com under the web application http://servername
Path Based Site Collection : PowerShell, Central Admin
New-SPSite http://sitename/sites/test -OwnerAlias "DOMAIN\JDoe"
Above command creates path site collection under the web application

9. Protocol Support ( HTTP\ SSL)
Host-Header Site Collection :
• Support one at a time either HTTP or SSL depending on the Default zone of the Web application under which it is created.
• Need to create another web applicatoin with the default zone being https to have site collection as HTTPS

Path Based Site Collection :
Supports both simultaneously since it’s web application can support multiple SSL certificate Each path based site collection shares the same certificate assigned to the web application.

10. SSL Certificate Type
Host-Header Site Collection :
• Only Wildcard certs ( applies to subdomain of the same domain) and Subject Alternate Name Certs(protects multiple host names with a single SSL cert) can be used .
• Cannot apply multiple SSL to unique domain, need to create different web application for each then.

Path Based Site Collection :
Cert are based on Web application and not site collection. All certs that can be applied on the web application applies to the site collection.